VIDEO The best stabilization exercise for Badminton
The shoulder and lower back are regions that often make problems for Badminton players - wether they are only playing on recreational basis or if they are more ambitious. A functional warm up program can help a lot and the exercise I would put in every program is Handwalk - discussed here in details.
A good functional warm up program can not only prevent injuries but also can enhance performance (good programs can be found in former articles and a nice collection can be found here).
As stated before Handwalk is the perfect Badminton exercise because it works on different key areas:
- ankle mobility
- superior hip flexibility
- core stability
- shoulder stability
Before I go deeper into the exercise, have a look at the video first:
The first to keys are pretty easy - for the coach - not the athlete. The exercise should be performed without loosing four point contact and without bending the knees at any time- there is now break in between or specific stabilization effect it nearly lost. Be 100% critical about that, if athletes really lacking strength endurance for that, reduce the repetition but never compromise with rep quality. Second work strength end range to flexibility end range. Some athletes always stop when it going tough - and remember - only the tough gets going. As a coach really make them get into a long position to work the core best and walk up after so that they really work on there hip flexibility.
Five other keys I want to point out are the following. To really work on ankle mobilization, make the athletes go through a full range of motion when walking from the long position up. To do that plantar- and dorsiflex to end range when walking up from the ankles only. Second, to work also on ankle flexibility at the end of the walking up position, put your weight on your heels to feel an even better calf stretch. To work the core best - be sure that the athletes do not move the laterally when walking into the long position, also near the end of the long position, make sure they do not fall into passive lumbar extension - keep the spine in neutral position is really working the anterior trunk muscles functionally best. Last one - keep also neutral thoracic spine at all position - that means „chest out“ at all time (especially hard for some athletes with bad posture also in combination with wanting the lumbar spine in neutral and not extend both parts).
Have these keys in mind also make sure you have in mind that you are the coach and have to know when throw in these cues so thats your athletes do not become paralyzed by your analyzation and corrections!
Diemo Ruhnow
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About the author:
Diemo Ruhnow is currently working as Head National Coach Doubles for the German Badminton Federation. In his free time he writes for his websites http://www.badminton-training.com (English), http://www.badminton-training.de (German) and other Badminton journals.
